Fashion is a relatively modern word. Fashion did not exist before the Industrial Revolution. If Queen Victoria had a new gown, it did not inspire a world industry of fashion. Maybe a few ladies at court took inspiration from it and whispered it to their seamstress - not a powerful designer who gave inspiration and therefore was a celebrity for being artistically talented. The major changes came after the shortening of the dress! Women went to work, women started being personas with their own needs and wishes. Then, instead of queens, actresses became the source of inspiration with the designers who were still in the back room. The designers themselves later became a powerful source for the growing fashion industry....
When Rei Kawakubo established her Fashion brand 'Comme des Garcons', and Yoji Yamamoto exposed his avant-guard styles, everybody raised a brow. These were the 1980's and the fashion world was not ready for the big revolution that was already pouring out of Japan into the West. "The creative adult is the child who survived" (Ursule le Guin). This is always what comes to my mind when I watch new collections we receive from Japan. The Japanese design dramatically changed the relationship between Fashion & Body. No more exact fitting & tailoring. No more garments that look perfect on the hanger. Yes to garments with beauty that is enhanced by movement & perfect tailoring. Outfits that are enhanced by new &...
The 90's fashion, with synthetic fabrics; pleather; machine sewn sequins & machine made lace; animal prints & harsh color combinations, looked trashy then & it does now! This trash was given some interesting interpretations by current designers. As a matter of fact, it can actually look right. Chic post 90's. One of the elements that is used to achieve the feel & look of the 90's, is the use of "cheap" materials like Polyester & Lycra, to achieve sharp' skinny silhouettes & generally challenging fashion's traditional status symbols. There is a distinct connection to this trashy look; a shared sense of color & shape - a flavor of the Old Bad Taste. The designers I prefer are those who try...
By Roni Rabl Japanese aesthetics are infiltrating the main stream since the early 90's. Japanese movies are filling movie theaters more than ever, Sushi is practically the upgraded Pizza, babies are using chop sticks, and why stop there? Japanese designers such as Comme de Garcon's Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miaki & Kenzo, succeeded in turning fashion upside down. "I make clothes for a woman who is out swayed by what her husband thinks" - Rei Kawakubo. This was revolutionary. The woman is not meant to be an object. She is not getting dressed to please her man or to appear as a sex object. These designers came up with styles that challenged the old ideal of beauty. Models came out with...
When Nora Efron passed away from Leukemia in 2012, she was the wet dream of thousands of Nebraska girls who live there but dream of NY. She was not only original, sharp & witty, but she also left us a legacy: the Turtleneck! I certainly love this look and admire everybody who wears it, yet - neither my daughters, their friends, my nieces & their friends, my contemporaries and last but not least, myself are wearing it. It is too risky to put it on and go out of the house not knowing when I will start feeling choked, or God forbid a small heat wave, or the room will be overheated..... Zillion reasons I will not dare wear one....
